Capturing Views of Men, Women and Youth on Agricultural Biodiversity
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Capturing views of men, women and youth on agricultural biodiversity resources consumed in Barotseland, Zambia CAPTURING VIEWS OF MEN, WOMEN AND YOUTH ON AGRICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY RESOURCES CONSUMED IN BAROTSELAND, ZAMBIA IN BAROTSELAND, BIODIVERSITY RESOURCES CONSUMED ON AGRICULTURAL YOUTH AND WOMEN VIEWS OF MEN, CAPTURING CAPTURING VIEWS OF MEN, WOMEN AND YOUTH ON AGRICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY RESOURCES CONSUMED IN BAROTSELAND, ZAMBIA Authors Joseph Jojo Baidu-Forson,1 Sondo Chanamwe,2 Conrad Muyaule,3 Albert Mulanda,4 Mukelabai Ndiyoi5 and Andrew Ward6 Authors’ Affiliations 1 Bioversity International (corresponding author: [email protected]) 2 Lecturer, Natural Resources Development College, Lusaka, Zambia 3 WorldFish and AAS Hub in Mongu, Zambia 4 Caritas, Mongu Diocese, Zambia 5 Lecturer, University of Barotseland, Mongu, Zambia 6 WorldFish, Africa Regional Office, Lusaka, Zambia Citation This publication should be cited as: Baidu-Forson JJ, Chanamwe S, Muyaule C, Mulanda A, Ndiyoi M and Ward A. 2015. Capturing views of men, women and youth on agricultural biodiversity resources consumed in Barotseland, Zambia. Penang, Malaysia: CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems. Working Paper: AAS-2015-17. Acknowledgments The authors would like to express sincere thanks to the indunas (community heads) for granting permission for the studies to be conducted in their communities. The authors are indebted to the following colleagues whose comments and suggestions led to improvements upon an earlier draft: Steven Cole, Mwansa Songe, Mike Phillips and Tendayi Maravanyika, all of WorldFish-Zambia; and Mauricio Bellon, Simon Attwood and Vincent Johnson of Bioversity International. We are grateful to Samantha Collins (Bioversity Communications Unit) for painstakingly editing the manuscript. Caritas-Mongu of the Catholic Diocese of Mongu and Catholic Relief Services in Zambia graciously assigned experienced and knowledgeable professional staff to assist with the field research. We acknowledge with gratitude the administrative arrangements and logistical support provided by the staff of the WorldFish Regional Office in Africa based at both Lusaka and Mongu. Finally, we want to recognize funding of the agrobiodiversity assessment provided through the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems. 2 CONTENTS Executive summary 4 Background 5 Methods 6 Results and discussion 8 Conclusions 25 Notes 26 References 27 Appendix 1. Crop species and varieties cultivated in AAS focal communities studied in Western Province, Zambia 30 Appendix 2. Vegetable species collected by households from local ecology for consumption in AAS focal communities 62 Appendix 3. Problem tree analyses for cassava production in AAS focal communities studied 66 Appendix 4. Problem tree analyses for cereals (maize and/or rice) production in AAS focal communities studied 68 Appendix 5. Land types and cropping cycle for major crops planted to them in Borotse floodplain, Western Province, Zambia 70 Appendix 6. Four-cell analyses for all crops, maize, rice and cassava cultivars planted in CONTENTS AAS focal communities studied in Western Province, Zambia 76 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper presents data and findings from focus group discussions in study communities selected by the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) in the Western Province of Zambia. The discussions focused on cultivated crops and vegetables collected from open fields and consumed as food. The population in each of the communities studied was disaggregated into three peer categories: men older than 35 years, women older than 35 years, and men and women aged 35 years or less. Participatory tools for agricultural biodiversity (agrobiodiversity) assessment were used to capture community perspectives on plant species and varietal diversity; factors influencing the availability and use of plants for food; unique, common and rare crop species cultivated in a community, identified through a four-cell analysis methodology; and core problems, root causes, effects and necessary actions to tackle them, using problem tree or situation analysis methods. Food security, income, hedging against food crop losses and diversifying food sources for diet diversity were major drivers of crop diversification strategies pursued by men, women and youth in the AAS focal communities studied. Low productivity was identified as a core problem that affected food security. To address low productivity concerns, it is recommended that future participatory action research test how best to facilitate farmers’ access to quality seeds or planting materials for preferred crop varieties, along with soil fertility improvement. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Based on responses from the initial focus group discussions, as well as those from the follow- up cross-group discussions, the study outlines farmers’ trait preferences for rice, maize and cassava. The data collected provide guidance to crop improvement programs that target Barotse communities dependent on aquatic agricultural systems. In addition, these preferences have didactic value for research in areas with seasonal flooding experiences similar to the communities studied in this research. The 25 cultivated crops and their varieties that were identified by men, women and youth in the study communities provide the opportunity for exploring how to optimize crop diversification on different land types to meet household goals: food security, hedging against crop failure, and diversified diets. In almost all communities studied, Amaranthus spp. (amaranth), Cleome gynandra (cat’s whiskers), Chorchorus spp. (bush okra) and Hibiscus sabdariffa (roselle or sorrel) were the vegetables most frequently collected from the local agroecology for consumption. In view of their known high and diverse nutrient contents, we recommend that these local leafy vegetables be considered for inclusion in participatory action research on learning plots for crop diversification. Once farmers understand the value of cultivating these local vegetables and grow them, it is recommended that market research address potential bottlenecks to widespread adoption, focusing on value chains from seed supply to prolonging shelf life and marketing. For other lesser-known locally collected vegetables, research is recommended to identify them (using both common and botanical names) and assess their bio-active nutrient contents. Research is also recommended to explore the presence and types of anti-nutrient factors in the vegetables and whether or not local indigenous treatment in traditional food preparation eliminates or attenuates the potential harmful effects of the identified anti-nutrient factors. An important limitation of this study was that due to the breadth of issues covered it was not possible to explore responses further. As a result, some responses that portrayed differences across peer groups could not be explored in depth. Future studies may, therefore, want to consider reducing the number of issues to be covered and thus allow for more in-depth exploration. Also, the youth group could be split into males and females to bring out gender-related differences among young people. 4 BACKGROUND The Zambezi River floodplain in Western Zambia resources. We covered cultivated lands, crop is an example of an inland aquatic agricultural species and varieties, native vegetation used as system where seasonal flooding impacts the sources of gathered food, livestock, fish, edible agricultural activities and livelihoods of the fungus, etc., found in the Borotse3 floodplain. riverine population. Aquatic agricultural systems This working paper reports data collected are generally highly productive. However, and findings synthesized from focus group productivity is often constrained by a lack of discussions conducted in the Barotse AAS focal inputs, poor access to markets, unpredictable communities. The focus groups were comprised seasonal flooding and a lack of innovation of peer groups disaggregated as follows: adult (WorldFish 2011). In Western Zambia, the key males and adult females in households, and a stakeholders actively practicing agriculture mixed group of young men and women who or managing resources used for agriculture play a different social role as youth in their in the Borotse1 floodplain are the Barotse communities. Royal Establishment, the Provincial Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, farmers and The overall objective of the focus group fishers, and nongovernmental organizations. discussion was to understand the views of Representatives of these stakeholder groups people in the focal communities on the diversity identified major agricultural development of plant food resources. It was designed challenges that impact the livelihoods of the to provide a framework for participatory population. The development challenges discussions within the defined peer categories. identified in the Barotse communities The disaggregated focus group discussion BACKGROUND practicing agriculture in the Zambezi River design facilitated group interactions and created floodplain include social and gender issues, a better understanding of the views, needs and low agricultural productivity, weak market desires of different segments in the Barotse AAS linkages, unpredictable flooding, seasonal focal communities. The findings from the focus migration, and a lack of well-adapted seed group discussions indicate entry points and systems and agronomic practices. Some factors pathways for research-in-development